Norton’s Gibb death joke no laughing matter for Bee Gee

BEE GEE Robin Gibb yesterday launched a furious attack on Irish comic Graham Norton for making a joke about the death of his brother Maurice - threatening to “rip his head off” if the two ever met.

Gibb branded Norton "scum" and demanded a personal apology for a tasteless gag the presenter made on his Channel 4 chat show.

Maurice, 53, died in a Miami hospital last month and Norton joked to TV viewers: "I bet Maurice Gibb's heart monitor was singing the tune of Stayin' Alive."

It prompted complaints from viewers and yesterday Maurice's twin brother described the comment as "repugnant and repulsive".

In an interview on ITV1's This Morning, he began: "Some very nasty things were said and I want to get them off my chest in particular Graham Norton, who I used to respect and who I now detest and I think he's scum.

"I want an apology from Channel 4, the producers of Graham Norton and Graham Norton himself because he chose to say it.

"He went on his TV show while my brother was dying in hospital and he said really repugnant and repulsive things about my brother's death process, which even today I still find it hard to recover from.

"This man I will never forgive. It's a small industry and he should hope he never crosses paths with me because I will rip his head off if I see him."

Presenter Philip Schofield said he was sure Cork-born Norton would be "mortified" that the family were so upset by his remark. But Gibb countered: "He chose to say it, he had the choice to say it. I wonder if Graham Norton would have said that about a member of his own family who lay dying in hospital, or would have allowed anyone else to say it?"